Saturday, September 10, 2016

This Week in The Bahamas

The
Government of The Bahamas is poised to invest almost $200 million dollars in
the infrastructural expansion and improvement of the country’s hospitals
beginning later this month.

The
expansion process is expected to take place over a two-year period and will
include an $18 million investment in an Electronic Medical Records System –
considered the “most modern health information system” available in the
Developed World; and a $17 million investment in upgrades and expansions to the
Maternity Ward at the Princess Margaret Hospital that will almost triple the
space currently in use by Maternity Ward and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Additionally,
expansions and upgrades to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department at
the Princess Margaret Hospital are also on the drawing board that will bring
the Department in line with A&E facilities and services in Developed
Countries along with the implementation of a 24-Hour Patient Advocacy Service.

Public
Hospitals Authority (PHA) Managing Director Herbert Brown said, September 5, at
a Nursing diploma programme launch at PHA, the introduction of the Health
Information System will allow public health officials to address one of the
significant areas of transformation in the public healthcare system “with
regards to the intermittently inadequate quantities of pharmaceuticals in our
hospitals and clinics.”

Government introduces Psychiatric Diploma
Program

Thirty
registered nurses from across the public healthcare sector have
been selected to participate in the Public Hospitals Authority’s first
Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Diploma Programme.

Mr. Herbert
Brown, Managing Director of the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA), said the
implementation of the Psychiatric Diploma Programme is indicative of public
health officials’ recognition that expanding access to Mental Health Services --
whether in the hospitals or the community – should be part of a larger strategy
for raising the standards of healthcare for all Bahamians.

Mr. Brown
said participation in the one-year Diploma Programme will not only allow the
registered nurses to expand their knowledge and understanding of the concepts of
mental health and mental illness, but also allow for the delivery of competent,
safe, ethical, psycho-social, physical and spiritual care to clients with
mental illnesses, their caregivers, families and communities.

“Each of you
has been pulled from the dynamic and ever-evolving clinical environment to take
your place in a very extensive programme of advanced study and training,” Mr.
Brown told participants during the programme’s launch Monday, September 5, 2016
at PHA.

Mr. Brown
said the launch of the programme coincides with the renewed focus on improving
mental health outcomes throughout the public healthcare network. He said
improvements/expansions to infrastructure, programmes and services at
Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre, have been a part of this mandate and vision,
and have made SRC one of the more innovative acute inpatient and outpatient
facilities within the region and indeed the world.

The
inter-ministerial approach to avoiding a Zika outbreak

Dr. Glen Beneby, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) said the
Zika outbreak had given it “a golden moment” to demonstrate its capabilities
prior to NHI’s introduction. He further
stated: “This gives us some very positive opportunities to work with our
partners, to work with the Ministry of Education and all of the other
ministries.”

He was speaking at a press conference
earlier this week to update the country on the status of the Zika virus
infections. He reported four new confirmed cases of the viral infection transmitted
by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Senior medical Officer at the Department of
Public Health Dr. Merciana Moxey said that 50 of the 83 suspected cases of Zika
in the Bahamas came back negative after being tested. By week’s end the number
of confirmed Zika infections totaled ten.

Dr. Beneby said that the Ministry of
Health has budgeted $30 million annually to fight a potential Zika virus
outbreak in The Bahamas, forcing the Ministry to adjust its financial plans. This
aggressivecampaign to “arrest” the
Zika virus situation was necessary to avoid a level three travel alert from the
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a senior tourism official
suggesting that such an advisory could have a damning effect on the country’s
tourism offering.

The Ministry of Tourism’s
Director-General Joy Jibrilu however said it was “too early to tell” whether
there will be any significant “fall-out” for the industry from the recent Zika
outbreak, adding that August had been “very strong” for visitor arrivals.

The Director General did reveal
details of the Government’s four-pronged anti-Zika campaign which included pamphlet
distribution at the ports of entry, education at the various resorts, aggressive
fogging, having health officials on alert for any reported case and a massive
public education campaign. The Ministry of Education has advised parents to
apply insect repellent to their children before leaving home and made some
adjustments to the dress code that increases the coverage of the body to
minimize mosquito bites.

Jibrilu touted the efforts of public
and private sector entities to help prevent Zika, including the Ministry of
Health, Department of Environmental Health Services, the Ministry of Tourism,
the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) and tourism related entities.

VOTER REGISTRATION
DRIVE CONTINUES

The Parliamentary
Commissioner wishes to inform the general public that Voter Registration
continues throughout New Providence, at the Parliamentary Registration Department
on Farrington Road, Marathon and Town Centre Malls, Elizabeth Estates Post
Office, Carmichael Road Post Office, South Beach Post Office, Cable Beach Post
Office, and on Grand Bahama at the Parliamentary Registration Department Sub-Office
in NIB Building, Freeport, and at the District Administrator’s Office in the
Family Islands, during normal working hours, Monday to Friday. Also on Saturdays
between the hours of 10:00am and 4:00pm at the following locations:

No.

Location

Time
of Opening

1

Main Headquarters,
Farrington Road

10:00am to 4:00pm

2

Mall at Marathon,
Marathon Road

10:00am to 4:00pm

3

Elizabeth Estate Post
Office

10:00am to 4:00pm

4

South Beach Post
Office, East Street (South)

10:00am to 4:00pm

5

Carmichael Road Post
Office

10:00am to 4:00pm

6

Cable Beach Post
Office

10:00am to 4:00pm

Bahamian
applicants who are 18 years and older, who wish to register, must bring their
documents (Passport, or Birth Certificate, or a 2012 Voter’s Card) and apply to
the Revising Officer who will interview applicants at the said locations.

BPL’s
rolling blackout woes continue

Nearly one month after the first set
of rental generators secured for BPL arrived in the country, Bahamas Electrical
Workers Union President Paul Maynard said the site for the engines has not been
prepared and the generators will “probably not be installed for another couple
weeks”. Later in the week and after days of rolling blackouts, following a summer
of power cuts, that outrage Bahamians, Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU)
President Paul Maynard yesterday warned that BPL is now “at the end of the
line”.

According to BPL’s Corporate
Communications Manager Arnette Ingraham, the company has been “temporarily
patching” its’ troubled equipment but until its rental generators are installed
there is “no way to tell” when frequent power outages will end, an official
said yesterday. She conceded that “someone dropped the ball” when it came to
preparing the site for BPL’s rental generators, but said the company is
“hoping” to have them installed by the end of “next week”.

NIB gets new
Managing Director

Ms.
Renae McKay, Chairman of the National Insurance Board, is pleased to announce
the appointment of Ms. Patricia Hermanns to the post of Director of the
National Insurance Board (NIB) with effect from September 1, 2016. As Director,
Ms. Hermanns is the CEO of NIB and heads the Executive Management team
responsible for the day-to-day operations of the social security organization.

Ms.
Hermanns is a former banking and insurance executive with more than 30 years’
experience in the financial services sector. She is credited with managing
corporate transitions for greater efficiency and effectiveness, and
successfully launching new life and health insurance as well as investment
products and services.

Ms.
Hermanns holds a Bachelors Degree in Economics and Spanish from New York
University, New York, and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the
University of Miami.

Ms.
Hermanns currently serves as a:

·Director of Bahamas
Electricity Corporation/Bahamas Power and Light

·Director of Bahamas
Resolve Ltd.

·Trustee of the
Anglican Diocese Pension Fund

·Trustee of the
Governor General Youth Award

Chamber
and opposition critical of new labour law

Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and
Employers Confederation Chairman Gowon Bowe cautioned the Government against
fast tracking labor laws in a “knee-jerk response” to the shocking mass
redundancy action by Sandals. Bowe said the Chamber was extremely concerned
about the one month timeline proposed by the Labor Department to bring
“emergency legislation” that would criminalize mass redundancy without Government
consultation.

The government recently proposed an “emergency”
amendment to the Employment Act, making it a criminal offence for employers to
fail to consult with the government on pending layoffs.

Aggressively defending private sector
employers in this country, CEO of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Bahamas
Employers Confederation said that the chamber will resist any “heavy handed”
move by the government to impose the proposed labor reforms on it. He said this
proposed amendment is “not sitting well” with the business community.

Weighing in was Peter Goudie,
Co-chairman of the National Tripartite Council (NTC) and a member of the
Chamber. Mr. Goudie defended the way Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort terminated
more than 600 employees last month, saying the resort followed the law and
acted correctly.

Also having their say was the
opposition parties. FNM Labour spokesperson and Long Island MP Loretta
Butler-Turner slammed the Government’s proposed labor law reforms as “the most
ludicrous, ridiculous and hare-brained legislation I’ve heard of”. Butler-Turner,
the party’s labor spokesman, said the private sector would be sent into
“tailspin” if the Government imposes “criminal liability” upon employers for
failing to inform it of redundancies involving 10 or more workers.

DNA leader Branville McCartney said the
Government’s proposed changes to the Employment Act are nothing more than an
attempt to “appease” the country’s laborers because of its “dishonesty” in
handling the shock mass redundancy action by Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort.

In Passing…

Prime
Minister, The Right Honourable Perry Christie led a delegation to London,
England from September 1 - 4 where he and his ministerial team met with
investors about pending investments in Grand Bahama and Ocean Cay. The
investors include Mr. Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of Mediterranean
Shipping Company (MSC) Cruises and executives from Hutchison Whampoa, the port
developer in Freeport. Accompanying the Prime Minister were Minister of
Tourism, the Hon. Obie Wilchcombe, Attorney General, Senator Allyson Maynard
Gibson, Minister of Education, Science and Technology, the Hon. Jerome
Fitzgerald, Minister for Grand Bahama affairs Dr. Michael Darville and Senior
Advisor to the Prime Minister, Sir Baltron Bethel.

FNM candidate for South Beach Howard Johnson plans ended his
campaign for the 2017 general election and relocated to the United States
citing “personal and private matters.” This announcement came less than a week
after the FNM’s Bain and Grants Town candidate Leonard Sands ended his
campaign.

Child rights advocates are
celebrating a recent Court of Appeal ruling they say clarified the way police
officers and judges must deal with children that come into contact with the
justice system. In its ruling last week, the Court of Appeal affirmed the
importance of giving paramount consideration to the welfare of children when
addressing them in legal matters such as bail hearings. A recent Court of
Appeal ruling is set to change the way juveniles are handled in the country’s
criminal justice system. The Court of Appeal, in a ruling earlier this month,
overturned Supreme Court Justice Vera Walkins’ decision to deny bail to a
16-year-old boy accused of armed robbery and firearm possession, saying the
judge’s decision to deny bail was not “safe and/or reasonable in all
circumstances of the case.”

A two year old partnership has produced the first awards of
the Idris George Reid Scholarship to attend the Bahamas Technical and
Vocational Institute (BTVI). The award was presented by Lodge Claudius R.
Walker.

Education Minister
Jerome Fitzgerald delivered his annual Back to School Address on Sunday. In it he
highlighted some of the accomplishments the Ministry and called on all
Bahamians to build a Stronger Bahamas together. Touting increased technology
application into the learning experience, the Minister said “we are
contributing to a modern Bahamas by ensuring that many of our students have
access to technology and computerized literacy programmes.”

A small private aircraft crash landed
at the airport in Walker’s Cay over the weekend, police reported. According to
reports, a grey single engine plane en route to Walker’s Cay from Florida
experienced mechanical problems while landing; however, the pilot and a male
passenger were not injured.

Education Director Lionel Sands said
that officials were monitoring a situation in Moore’s Island, Abaco, in which
parents reportedly barred their children from attending school on Monday to
protest the failure to repair the island’s school over the summer.

FNM Senator Carl Bethel said from a
legal standpoint, there is nothing the FNM can do to force the judiciary to
unseal documents related to the new deal to complete Baha Mar and open it
before the end of the 2016/2017 winter season.

DNA Leader Branville McCartney
confirmed that he, along with senior members of the FNM and other third party
executives, met last week to discuss how they can all work together to “get
rid” of the PLP.

A bodyguard attached to Prime
Minister Christie, Sergeant Brent Dixon, was shot several times Monday night
during an armed robbery attempt outside a home off East Street.

The NHI
Secretariat released a statement this week touting July and August as historic
months for the NHI Bahamas programme with the passing of the NHI legislation
into law. The press release also highlighted the release of the NHI policy
paper and the RFP for the public insurer and wellness provider, as well as
continued engagements with stakeholders and Bahamians throughout the country.

Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald said he hopes to table
the long awaited Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation in October. Speaking
to reporters before a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Fitzgerald said the FOI
committee has finished its work.

Minister of Social Services and Community Development the
Hon. Melanie Griffin revealed on Tuesday that her department spent roughly
$500,000 to prepare students attached to its Renewing, Inspiring, Sustaining,
Empowering (RISE) Program ahead of the 2016 – 2017 school year.

On Tuesday the Ministry of Tourism announced
the return of the Tru Tru Festival. The ministry is again the main sponsor of
the festival, organized by the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA).

James Smith, former State Minister
for Finance, head of the committee overseeing Baha Mar payouts, said that
creditors owed up to half a million dollars are “likely” to be fully paid what
they are owed. How much money those owed more than half a million dollars
receive, however, will depend on how many creditors come forth with claims, he
said.

With less than four months remaining
in the year, murders in The Bahamas as of September 6, 2016 were nearly half
the murder count recorded in the same period last year. There were 100 murders
recorded during this period last year, compares to the 68 murders recorded for
2016 so far, representing a 47 percent decline.

Fifteen students from Family Islands impacted by Hurricane
Joaquin have been granted scholarships to attend the Bahamas Technical and
Vocational Institute (BTVI), courtesy of the Rebuild Bahama Hurricane Relief
Program.

Discussions are underway for the implementation of a trained
clinical nursing program in Freeport to address the shortage of nurses in Grand
Bahama. Minister for Grand Bahama Dr. Michael Darville met with representatives
of the Ministry of Health, the Public Hospitals Authority and the COB at the
Ministry of Grand Bahama on Wednesday.

Based on an Appeals Court ruling
earlier this week, it is now clear that employment contracts do not become “invalid
or void” if an employee is working in The Bahamas illegally. The court upheld
the $20,200 award to Jamaican national, Rupert Barrett, who had sued Tycoon
Management and its owner, James Curling, for damages relating to “negligence
and/or breach of contract” the lawsuit claims over injuries suffered when a
dredging vessel sunk.

A Bahamian owned cargo airline
service known as Junkanoo Air is expected to boost economic growth by
increasing the circulation of goods throughout The Bahamas and surrounding
regions. Junkanoo Air is also the first HAZMAT (hazardous materials) certified
Bahamian airline.

The Government signed two contracts
on Thursday in Grand Bahama worth $11.5 million for the construction of a new
junior high school in Holmes Rock; this project was ten years in the making for
the residents of West Grand Bahama. The contractors selected to build the 25
classroom and administrative blocks are RCL Construction and Brickhouse
Construction.

Consumer Protection Commission
Chairman Senator Jerome Gomez argued that the heavy presence of unions in The
Bahamas has created a “distortion” in the market and business environment.
Gomez said this could be seen in the case of the 600 workers being made
redundant at Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort last month.

Mark Jones, president of
Air Ambulance Inc. donated six laptops to the Centreville Urban Renewal
Community Center valued around $1,500. Mr. Jones said that he has always been
enamored with The Bahamas and felt compelled to make a donation to assist with
the development of persons in the country, and added that his company plans to
assist the Government with several ventures moving forward, including NHI.

US Charge d’Affaires Lisa Johnson
hosted a welcome reception for the embassy’s new Public Affairs Officer (PAO)
Penny Reckhemmer at the US Ambassador’s Residence on Wednesday.

Chairman of the House’s Committee on
Privilege and Mount Moriah MP Arnold Forbes said on Thursday that hearings held
by the committee will be open to the public and are expected to begin in about
two weeks.